consumer behaviour Flashcards
(13 cards)
What are 5 As?
Five A’s Model of Customer Path proposed by Kotler et al. (2017): Aware → Appeal → Ask → Act → Advocate. This model updates the classic funnel by integrating consumer empowerment, peer influence, and digital engagement — all of which are central to understanding contemporary consumer behaviour.
ZMOT
The ‘Zero Moment of Truth’ (ZMOT) framework developed by Google is critical here. It identifies a new decision-making touchpoint: the moment a consumer goes online to research a product before buying. This moment — influenced by search results, reviews, social media, and peer recommendations — often determines whether a consumer progresses down the path to purchase. Importantly, attitudes, opinions, trust, and perceived risk are shaped long before any direct interaction with a brand.
Digitalisation effect on linear models?
In traditional marketing, consumer behaviour was typically viewed through AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action), a linear model that assumed a direct path from awareness to purchase. However, digitalisation has disrupted this linearity. Consumers now navigate non-linear, multi-platform journeys in which they seek information, compare options, read reviews, and interact with other users — often before they even encounter a brand’s official message.
Explain the 5 As
The Five A’s and Digital Empowerment
The Five A’s model captures how digitalisation has shifted power to consumers:
Aware – Consumers are exposed to brands via paid (ads), owned (websites), and earned (user-generated) media. Unlike traditional media, digital platforms enable rapid spread and constant availability of information.
Appeal – Emotional connection or relevance is now co-created. A brand’s values, social purpose, and authenticity often matter more than features alone.
Ask – This stage has become especially democratised through online search, forums, influencer reviews, and brand communities. The ‘ask’ stage reflects the social dimension of modern consumer behaviour.
Act – Purchase can happen at any moment — through social commerce platforms like TikTok Shop, Instagram, or Facebook Marketplace. The line between social interaction and ecommerce has blurred, integrating shopping seamlessly into digital social experiences.
Advocate – Satisfied customers can become advocates by leaving reviews or sharing content — adding to the cycle and influencing others at their ZMOT. Advocacy is now amplified by social platforms and incentivised by brands through referrals and user-generated content.
What is Social Commerce?
Whether it’s influencers on TikTok promoting products or direct sales through Instagram, these platforms blend entertainment, social interaction, and purchasing in a fluid way. Consumers often don’t distinguish between social media use and shopping anymore — they’re part of the same digital lifestyle.
What do customers rely on the most?
At the heart of this shift is trust and social influence. Consumers increasingly rely on peer reviews and user-generated content over corporate advertising. This creates an environment of networked trust — where consumer opinion often matters more than brand messaging.
What is a brand community?
According to Kotler, a brand community is a “specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relationships among admirers of a brand.” For marketers, these communities provide ongoing engagement, insight into consumer sentiment, and opportunities for co-creation.
What do brand communities do for consumers?
Brand communities, such as those found on Reddit, Discord, or even product review sections, also play a crucial role in shaping consumer behaviour. These communities allow consumers to connect, share experiences, and co-create brand meaning
What has digitalisation done for consumer communications?
Digitalisation has also transformed personal communication between brands and consumers.
consumers expect immediate, authentic, human-to-human dialogue. Messaging apps, chatbots, and social media have made brands more accessible — but also more accountable. The quality of these interactions can influence perceptions of brand sincerity and trustworthiness.
What is consumer behaviour today shaped by?
Consumer behaviour today is shaped by social influence, trust, perceived risk, and digital touchpoints — all mediated through rapidly evolving technologies. For marketers, understanding this new landscape means more than just using digital tools; it requires a consumer-first mindset that respects empowerment, fosters community, and delivers value beyond the transaction.
Attention and what to capture consumers?
As the lines between content, commerce, and community continue to blur, marketers must be ready not just to capture attention — but to earn loyalty in a transparent, connected, and empowered digital world.
